a) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to apparatuses and methods for the examination and treatment of the eye in ophthalmology and optometry and, further, can be used commercially in medicine for the examination and treatment of tissue and for devices for imaging, measuring, testing and materials machining.
b) Description of the Related Art
At present, different systems are used for imaging (e.g., retinal cameras with photographic and electronic image acquisition, laser scanners, photography slit lamps), for testing purposes (e.g., perimetry systems, electrophysiological systems, microperimetry, visual acuity testing systems, including phoropters), for measurement (e.g., HRT, flow meters, GDX, refractometers, RVA), and for therapy for the eye (laser coagulation, PDT systems, etc.).
The disadvantage in all of the systems consists in the solution which is predetermined by principle and which is rigid in terms of optical design and which determines the systems already during their manufacture with respect to the purpose of application allowing only limited leeway for the adjustment of application characteristics (e.g., technical measurement properties or imaging properties).
As a result, different tasks in the examination and treatment of the eye require different measurement systems and therapy systems with a proportionately high investment and space requirement, and it is not possible to adapt in a flexible manner to variable application requirements and particularly to the individual distinctive features of the eye.
Particularly for measurement systems used for the eye, adapting to the individual peculiarities of each eye is frequently an essential precondition for eliminating or limiting sources of error or even the precondition for results capable of evaluation.
New systems have been developed for purposes of measuring and testing the eye through add-on modules or modifications of known conventional technology (e.g., add-on modules for the retinal camera). As a result of the compromises ensuing from this with respect to optical design solutions and electronic solutions, the new systems are not optimally tailored to the tasks and often cause unnecessarily high costs, limited practicability and, above all, very restricted application characteristics.